


Under the waves

by myotishia



Series: Psyonic [17]
Category: Torchwood
Genre: Gen, Multi, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-31
Updated: 2021-02-08
Packaged: 2021-03-17 07:13:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,307
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29096334
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/myotishia/pseuds/myotishia
Summary: A fun night out comes to a crashing halt.
Relationships: Gwen Cooper/Rhys Williams, Jack Harkness/Ianto Jones, Owen Harper/Toshiko Sato
Series: Psyonic [17]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1766956
Comments: 16
Kudos: 16





	1. Music of the night

Cardiff Motorpoint arena emptied out into the cool night air as security tried to shoo away sellers trying to pedal counterfeit merchandise just outside of the doors. The general mood of the area was positive as everyone was still riding the buzz from the encore performance and, for a few people, more than a couple of drinks. It had been so long since Ianto had gone out to relax with anyone but Jack. It was strange, like he’d suddenly been teleported back to his late teens, just with better facial hair and less anxiety. He had to admit it had been fun to blow off some steam and the two women made good company. He’d been shocked with how well Melody had handled herself in such a massive crowd but she didn’t seem bothered, especially when the music started. In the mix of street and moon light it was easy to see the effect it had on her though. Her pupils were blown, barely any of the silver of her iris visible, and she had a definite skip in her step. If he didn’t know better he’d swear she was on something.

“Do you mind if we let some of the traffic calm before we head off?” Heather asked, pulling her keys from her pocket. 

He smiled. “I don’t mind. I’ve got tomorrow off.”

“Cool… You’d never guess she spent the whole day meditating. Like, from the moment she got up this morning. I had to remind her to eat.”

“That explains how she wasn’t overwhelmed.”

“So… Can I ask you a question?” 

His heart jumped into his throat. “Um… Ok.”

“So is everyone you guys work with attractive or has Mel just been showing off the pretty members of the staff?”

Ianto stifled a relieved laugh. “Don’t let our boss hear you say that. He’ll never stop preening.”

“Seriously though, I’d never get anything done. Sorry, I can’t file that for you, I’m too busy staring at my co-workers.” 

“I have caught Jack watching me like that before, but he might have just been avoiding a report or two.”

The lights flashed from the car to say it was unlocked. “We packed some snacks and bottles of water if you’d like one.”

“Yea. Didn’t want to get too many drinks in there.”

“You’d have to take out a loan just to get tipsy.” She opened the boot and pulled forward a cooler box and a blanket. “Mel, you want this for the drive home?” 

Melody took the blanket and wrapped it around her shoulders like a cape. “Thank you. I’m going to crash so badly later.” She chuckled.

“I can always carry you to bed.”

“Like a sack of potatoes.”

“I mean I could carry you bridal style but sure.”

“Sleepy potato.” 

“You’re adorable.” She smiled fondly, kissing her on the forehead. “Do you want to sit in the car. I can turn the heating on.”

Looking up to the nights sky she sighed contentedly. “I’m ok, but feel free.” 

A loud scream from further down the carpark made them all jump. Ianto, being the tallest, tried to see what was going on.

“What’s all that about?” Heather asked as she closed the boot.

He narrowed his eyes and tried to focus on what he was seeing. People were running between cars towards them, but he couldn’t see what from. The streetlights burst in a shower of sparks above them. He needed to decide whether to take shelter in the car or make a run for it. There was no way out if they were in the car and were found by whatever was sending people into a panic because of the sheer number of cars trying to get onto the road, but where exactly would they run to? The sound of shattering glass and a scream being choked off answered that for him. 

“We need to run.” He said, already trying to see where would be safest to get to. 

Heather nodded and took Melodys hand. “I’ll try and keep up.”

They began running back towards the arena and Ianto tried to warn as many people as possible to head back and find somewhere safe. He knew it wouldn’t do much good until they actually saw the danger but it was worth a shot. It wasn’t far to the doors and it looked like staff were letting those who’d run there in a panic inside. He looked back to see what was following but it just looked like a dark mass in the little light he had to work with. He also noticed the ladies falling behind. He darted back and picked Melody up in a firemans lift, Heather able to keep up easily on her own. They ducked inside the doors with a group of others as the darkness engulfed the glass doors. The group of staff helped push them closed and pull down the shutters to brace them. They rattled under the pressure of the miasma that swallowed all light outside. There were no more screams from outside, only what sounded like rain.

He placed Mel back on her feet. “I know you’re tired, but can you tell what’s out there?”

“I… Whatever it is, is mechanical. I don’t get anything from it.” She said, staring at the blacked out doors, the blanket clutched tightly around her. 

A cracking sound was followed by the security guard pulling the shutters down the rest of the way. 

Ianto approached the head of security, glad he had his work ID in his wallet. “Excuse me, we need to get everyone away from the doors and somewhere safer.” He said firmly but calmly, holding out his ID.

“I don’t know what the hell’s going on out there and I wish I had time to ask but these shutters are old. Oi, Dan! Get everyone up to Exit Seven.” The man gestured to one of the other security guards who began ushering people towards the stairs. “If nothing else it’s comfortable up there.”

It wasn’t the worst idea to send everyone up to the bar but he could see some issues arising later. That didn’t matter for now, he needed to contain the situation and get in contact with the others. He took his phone from his pocket and frowned at the lack of any kind of connection. “Is the wifi still on in here?”

“Should be, why?”

“No signal to call for backup.”

“There’s a staff phone upstairs, give that a try.” He jumped back as he heard another loud crack from the glass set into the doors. He grabbed his two way radio. “If you can hear this make sure all shutters are down and get to Exit seven immediately. I’ve got no bloody clue what’s going on but it seems like a riot out there.”

There was a tense energy in the air as the terrified group sheltered in the bar. Ianto walked back to where Heather and Melody were sat. 

“Anything?” Asked Mel. 

He shook his head and sat across from them. “Line’s dead. Computer looked dead too. I’d say this couldn’t be missed but Jack’s at my place tonight.”

“Tosh has alarms set up for stuff like this though, doesn’t she? Plus the police must be getting calls.”

“I hope so.”

“Look, I’m next to useless in this situation so maybe I should try and get in contact with them telepathically.”

“Only if you’re strong enough. Don’t hurt yourself.”

“I’ll be ok.”

“I’m going to see if I can get a look at what’s going on out there.”

“What? Who knows when those things could break in. You should stay here until we get in contact with the others.”

Heather stood. “I’ll go with you.”

“No. You can’t. You don’t know what you’re running into.”

“She’s right. No offence but I can’t let you put yourself in danger.” He said firmly. 

Heather crossed her arms. “You’re not going out there alone. Even if I just have to run back to warn people.”

“Fine, but please, do everything I tell you and don’t ask why.”

“Deal.”

“Stay safe, both of you.” Melody said softly, still holding onto her blanket.

Jack stared at the cctv footage from the carpark before it was consumed by the silvery black mass and felt the knot in his stomach growing ever tighter. He knew Ianto couldn’t die but he also knew, from experience, that there were worse things than death. He had to push those thoughts away. Even before the mire chip Ianto Jones was a survivor. He was fast, smart and as stubborn as a mule. And, though Melody wasn’t as fast, she was certainly as stubborn when it came to staying alive. 

He was waiting for Tosh to get something, though he wasn’t sure what exactly. Owen was impatiently tapping his fingers on his arm, wanting to get going asap. They both looked over as they heard metal feet hitting the concrete floor of the garage. Tosh rushed over with Ammit by her side. 

“We don’t know if that wave is going to be aggressive so I thought it would be wise to send Ammit in ahead of us.” She clarified, opening the boot for the robot to jump in. “Is Gwen on her way?”

“She’s stuck at her mother in laws for the night. I’ll call her again if we can’t find Ianto or Melody.”

Ianto looked out of one of the windows facing the carpark. The cars themselves looked undamaged but there were definitely bodies down there, lit by spotlights brought in by the police. He frowned deeply, not seeing the SUV. No, they had to be out there somewhere. Most likely hidden in one of the areas still covered in shadows. He needed to keep his mind on getting people to safety. 

“So, what is that stuff down there?” Heather asked, glancing over her shoulder to make sure no one else was around.

“I don’t know.”

“Look, I know you can’t give me details but whatever it is has us surrounded-”

“It’s not that I don’t want to tell you. I just don’t know. It’s not something I’ve run into before.”

“Oh… Sorry.”

He looked at his phone again, hoping something had changed. It hadn’t. “So, how much have you been told?”

“Bugger all, but it doesn’t take a genius to work out. Girl with psychic abilities. Works in an  _ office _ but has ridiculous hours, a sizable paycheque and comes home with injuries. Gwen doesn’t exactly seem the office type, and unless you spend your weekends at the gym, neither do you. Cardiff is full of stories. It’s a hive of paranormal activity. Someone has to police that.”

“That sounds a lot like a conspiracy theory.”

“And yet, here we are, trapped inside an arena by some kind of sentient wave of black goo. I’m fine pretending I can’t tell that the injuries obviously aren't from accidents, and I’m even fine pretending those implants on Mels back could be made by some fancy medical research lab, but when I’m in the middle of something I need to know what I’m running from.” She stared Ianto square in the eye, meaning every word she said. 

He sighed. “Who do you think we are?”

“You’re Torchwood of course. Who else? If you were UNIT the carpark would be swarming with people with guns.”

“Too smart for your own good.” He mumbled.

“I’ve been told that before. So what kind of thing are we working with?”

“I’ve got no reason to doubt Melodys assessment of it so we can assume it’s mechanical. It’s not cyberman technology, they convert living things so they could still be picked up. So no idea where it came from, but it’s looking for something.”

“That’s why it didn’t keep chasing the other people and it isn’t attacking the police.”

“Exactly. Whatever it wants is inside here. But I don’t think it started here, otherwise it wouldn’t have attacked from the carpark.”

“So it had to have been brought in with the group that’s in the bar.”

“Or it is one of the people in the bar. Come on, we should go back and see what we can find out there. Even if we could break a window we wouldn’t get out before we were caught.”

She turned to look towards the stairs. “Maybe we can get a closer look at the wave now it’s calmed down.”

“Why?”

“We couldn’t see it well before and if it doesn’t want us then it shouldn’t attack if we go and just look at it through the glass. It could give us a clue as to what it’s looking for.” She reasoned, staying rather calm given the situation. 

He thought it over for a moment. “Fine, but I look. You stay back at a safe distance.”

“Yes sir.”

“And now I feel old.” 

“How old are you?”

“Twenty nine.”

“Oh bugger off are you old. I’m only a couple of years younger than you.” She rolled her eyes, but still had the warm look on her face. 

He began walking towards the stairs. “How are you this calm?”

“One, I’m out of adrenaline from earlier, and two, like I told Melody, she’s not the only one who’s run into strange stuff all of her life. I was in London six years ago.” 

“Wait…” He stopped in his tracks. “You were there during the cyberman invasion?”

“I was at my nans house. She had this little space in her attic that she said was safe so we both hid there. She nearly broke her hip getting down afterwards… You sound like you were there too.”

“I used to work there until… That.”

There was a long silence between them as they continued their walk. “I’m sorry.”

“No… No, it’s ok. You didn’t know.” He wished the years had made it an easier subject to talk about, but it wasn’t. He doubted it ever would be. 

The doors sat dark and quiet, the black mass still holding across them. He used his phones torch to illuminate the area. The mass didn’t react as he took a closer look and realised what the rainlike sound had been before. It wasn’t a single mass or a liquid. It was a swarm of tiny, insect-like, robots. Billions of them. 


	2. Washed away

Jack felt a scratch at the back of his mind. As if a cat was asking to be let in. He tentatively allowed the message and heard a soft voice swirl in his mind. 

“We’re ok. Trapped inside. Phones dead.” Melody said, her voice sounding like she was whispering from beside him.

“Got it. We’re outside. Hold tight.” He projected back, hoping it would pick up.

She opened her eyes, still sat in the booth with her blanket wrapped around her. Glad that she’d gotten a reply. The head of security walked over, a tall bald man with a serious face. He meant no harm, she could feel that much, but he did seem nervous. 

“Mind if I sit down?” He asked.

She nodded. “Go ahead.”

“So, where’s the lad that was with you? The one from … um… Torchwood.” He whispered the last word as he sat. 

“Trying to find a way for us all to escape. How do you know about them?”

“Met some of their people years ago. I was working security at a club and this lad hooked up with some girl in the bathrooms. One flash of light later and he was gone, just a pile of ash. That’s when I decided to find a job somewhere else. I don’t think it was your man investigating back then, but I remember the ID… Look, if he can get us out of here alive then I’m on board. Yea?”

“I’ll tell him. Thank you. For now we just need to stay put and stay calm.”

He nodded and looked back at the rest of those sheltering. “They’re all on edge. Can’t blame them, but we don’t need a riot.”

“I agree. Don’t worry, I’m sure we can keep everything calm.” She smiled softly. 

He nodded again and headed off to do another circuit of the room to make sure no one was panicking. She yawned, feeling the fatigue down to her bones. It had taken a lot to handle the evening and, as the buzz had worn off, she was starting to feel it. She just wanted to curl up at home with Heather and sleep, but alas there was no rest for the weary. 

The doors to the bar opened and Ianto strode back in, Heather on his heels. He sat across from Melody, keeping his head down as to try and avoid attention. 

“Did you get through to anyone?” He asked. 

“Jack says they’re out there and just to hold tight.”

“That’s a relief, we couldn’t see them from the windows.” The tension eased from his shoulders a little.

“What did you find?”

“Well, it’s not a liquid that has us trapped. It’s billions of insects.”

“That’s not at all a nightmare worthy image.” She said flatly, her usual filter having already gone to sleep.

“But they’re mechanical. They’re looking for something specific and it came in with us.”

Heather sat and leaned on her girlfriends shoulder. “Not us exactly, but someone in here.”

“And to get out we need to find out who and why.”

“I can scan the crowd but after that I think I’ll be tapped for the night.” Mel rubbed her eyes and took a swig from the water bottle she’d been clutching since the car. 

“As long as you don’t burn yourself out.”

“I’ll warn you if I get that bad. But I’ll need to get a bit closer to people.” She stood. “Just a once round the room and I should be able to tell.”

“Don’t get too close. We don’t know if what it’s after is dangerous.”

She carefully stepped around, leaving the blanket on her seat as she began a sweep of the room. The first few thoughts were nothing out of the ordinary. Nervous people thinking about getting home to loved ones, some thinking at least they weren’t alone, one thinking that the security guard a few feet away looked very attractive. Normal. Then there was an empty spot. Like no one was there. The man looked a little out of place compared to most of the crowd. They were mostly dressed in black tee shirts, jeans, jackets made of leather or denim, but this man looked like he’d just gone to a business meeting. She looked over to her friends who’d been subtly watching her and pointed to the man with her visible eye. She swept past and back towards the table when she felt an arm wrap around her neck.

Owen crouched down to examine one of the bodies. Its skin was pockmarked with tiny holes that looked like something had dug its way out. He looked up as he heard the clanking steps of Ammit approaching, returning with a sample of the ‘liquid’ held carefully between her jaws. She stopped in front of Tosh, her tail flicking from side to side. 

“Well done. Did they attack you?” Tosh asked, taking the sample vial with a gloved hand. 

“Negative.” Ammit replied. “It did not react to my contact.”

“Thank you Ammit. You can return to standby mode in the SUV.”

The robot nodded and displayed a set of happy eyes on her head screen before she walked back to the SUV and hopped inside. Jack smiled in amusement of how Tosh had turned the walking bringer of death into a pet. Though he suspected she had a way of turning it back if necessary. 

“So, what have we got?” He asked, leaning on the frame of the boot. 

She looked through the microscope in the field lab set up next to where Ammit was curled up. “It… It’s not a liquid. It’s a swarm.”

“That explains this.” Owen said, holding up a small vial with a tiny mite floating in it. “It got trapped between two teeth. Not an insect I recognise.”

“That’s because it’s not actually an insect. It’s a robot.” In a frenzy of movement that resembled a dance, perfectly rehearsed movement that she made look almost effortless, she began gathering what she needed to enter the tiny robots programming. Her screen lit up with code and words in a language none of them recognised. It didn’t take long to work out what the billions of insect bots were doing. They were hunting down a fugitive. Specifically a rogue war machine that had been marked to be dismantled. They were programmed to search any suspicious being just in case their target was in disguise. 

“Damn. They might be in more danger in there than out here.” Jack growled, reading over Toshikos shoulder. “Can you get the swarm to stand down temporarily?”

“I can try.”

“Oi! The hell do you think you’re playing at?! Let her go!” Boomed the head of security as the man had grabbed Melody around the neck. 

He replied by straightening his free arm, a six inch blade shooting out from under the skin of his forearm and out of his wrist. He moved back and held it against Melodys throat. 

“Ok mate, take it easy. No one needs to get hurt.” The security guard didn’t know how this guy had done that but he sure as hell didn’t want to see this girl get her throat slit. 

Ianto clenched his jaw, kind of wishing he’d been armed. “What is it you want so you’ll let her go?”

The robot dressed in human skin studied the man in front of him. “I want my freedom… I want to live.”

“Ok. And we might be able to help you but taking hostages isn’t going to help.”

“This one has controller implants. Where is her ship?”

“She hasn’t got one. It was destroyed. Who’s after you? Maybe we can negotiate with them.”

“We are past negotiation. You will find me a way to leave this place or this human dies.”

“The building’s surrounded. The only way out is from the sky and we have no way of doing that. You have to give me some way to help you here.”

The robot narrowed its stolen eyes and pressed the blade against Melodys skin, making her whimper and a small bead of blood rise from its surface.

“Stop. Ok, ok, just don’t hurt her. What should I call you?”

“Tairen.”

“Right, Tairen. Can the other people here leave?”

“They are of no use to me. They may leave under the condition they do not allow the wave in.”

He looked to the security guard. “Take everyone else down to the front doors. The swarm won’t pay attention to you as long as he’s here. If we move into the main arena there’ll be a lot of doors between us and any of the swarm that might get in. Acceptable?” 

“That is acceptable.” Tairen said, releasing the pressure on his hostages neck. “We will proceed to the arena. In three minutes you may leave and lock the doors behind you. If any of you try to attack I will kill as many as necessary.” He pointed the blade at Ianto and then the door. “Lead.” 

He had no choice to just go along with it, hoping that those who got out could explain what was going on to the rest of the team outside. He looked to his right in confusion as he walked, whispering to Heather who for some reason was tagging along. “What are you doing?”

“Like hell am I leaving both of you.”

“You’re a liability, no offence.”

“None taken. Still not leaving.”

“This isn’t a game.”

“I know it’s not a sodding game. Alien stuff might be exciting to read about but that doesn’t mean I take it lightly. A robot took my first boyfriend, I’m not letting one take the woman I love.” 

He had no answer for her. He knew how she felt and that no force in the universe would stop him in the same position. It was dangerous and could easily get her killed but he guessed she’d rather go out like that than walk out and pretend she didn’t know anything about the situation. 

Gwen skidded to a stop next to the SUV and climbed out of her car. “Ok, how bad is this?” 

“Gwen?” Jack asked in surprise.

“Don’t ask about my night. This might have stopped me actually strangling someone so let’s just… Get to it.”

“Ianto and Melody, along with a large group of people, are trapped inside the arena with a war robot that is desperate not to be dismantled. Tosh is working on calling off the swarm of insect robots sent to dismantle it. We can’t get in direct contact with anyone inside. Phone lines have been cut, the swarm is blocking all signals and going on the readings we got from the initial attack every computer in that place will be dead. We only know Mel and Ianto are in there because she managed to send me a telepathic message.”

Owen stepped past them. “Um, Tosh? Did you manage to call the swarm off?”

“Not yet. Why?” Tosh replied, not looking away from her screen. 

“Because it’s letting through a lot of people right now.”

“What?” They all looked over to the crowd sprinting away from the building. 

Looking back to the screen she began translating the message the swarm was sending. “They’re clean apparently.”

“Did they make a mistake? Is the battlebot not in there?”

“No, it’s still inside. Why would it allow that many potential hostages out?”

“Maybe it already has one.” He took off towards the escaping group, followed by Jack and Gwen. 

The head of security was the last out and recognised Owen almost immediately. “You’re Torchwood, right?”

“Yea, what happened in there?”

“Whatever that thing is has one of your girls hostage. Your man convinced it to let us go but they’re hold up in the central arena.”

“Of course they bloody are.” He sighed. “Right, thanks.”

He gave a quick nod of acknowledgement before walking towards the rest of the group who were being directed by the police. 

“Looks like we’re going to have to go in and rescue them.”

Gwen grimaced at the shifting mass of insectoid robots. “And run through that.” 


	3. Dive

Melody hadn’t felt this terrified in a long time. There was nothing she could do, her telepathy wouldn’t work on a machine and she wasn’t exactly a fighter at the best of times. She had to believe in her friends. Believe in Ianto to keep her from a very unpleasant death. 

The expansive room that had not long before been filled with music and energy now felt so empty, cavernous. Ianto realised very swiftly that the arena left a huge number of vantage points. If he could just get in contact with the others they could easily take down this crazed robot, but for now he had only words to try and fix this. 

“Listen, you’re safe from the swarm in here but if you want to get free then we need some help. I know people who can help you but I need to contact them.” He explained.

The robot turned to face him, dragging Mel along. “Blame the wave for your inability to contact the outside world. They are trying to prevent me from contacting my unit.”

“Your unit? There are more of you here?”

“Do not concern yourself with matters you have no way of changing.”

As if this couldn’t get any worse. “How do I disrupt the wave then?”

“If I knew that I would not be trapped here. Try and signal one of your helicopters, something that will be out of the waves reach. And remember, if you try to attack me not only will it be fruitless but I will bleed this human out.”

“I wasn’t going to… And just so you know, if you hurt her you’ll bring down the wrath of beings beyond even your understanding.”

Jack moved his hand through the swarm, testing to see if they were still passive. They moved over his skin like liquid. 

“Ready for this?” He asked. 

Gwen and Owen both gave him sceptical looks. 

She looked back at the wave. “Oh yea, always ready to walk face first into a swarm of robo ants.” 

“Just pretend your mother in law’s standing on this side.” Owen shrugged, not particularly liking the idea either. 

“Oh shut up. Who’s going first?”

“Ladies first.”

Jack shook his head and walked into the swarm that washed over him until he couldn’t be seen. Gwen closed her eyes and rushed through, Owen following close behind, trying to limit the amount of contact he had with the swarm. She shook off the last stragglers and patted off her arms in disgust, mirrored by Owen whos skin was crawling even after he was pretty sure they’d all returned to the wall they’d made. 

“When you’re done, head up to the far balcony level. I’m going to take this side.” Jack said, pretending his skin wasn’t crawling too. They might have been robotic ants but they still felt like ants. “And hold your fire until we can get Melody free from its grip. For all we know it’s bulletproof.”

Owen Harper had one flaw, well he actually had a lot of flaws but the one that was rearing its head was his need to annoy others in stressful situations. It kept his mind busy and stopped him cracking under the pressure. 

“What did she do this time then?” He asked, barely looking over at Gwen. 

She sighed deeply. “Other than inviting half of Wales to my bloody wedding without telling me?”

“When did she have time to do that?”

“That was one of the questions I asked. We then spent four hours revising the guest list again because maybe Rhys’ third cousin twice removed that hasn’t been heard from since he ran off with a girl from the next village over doesn’t need a centre isle position.”

He stifled a laugh. At least she was getting it off her chest. “Until you’ve sent out the paper invites no one knows anything for sure.”

“I know, but it’s not the point. I finally got her to back off with the dress and now she’s meddling with the guest list and I’m just… Am I a bridezilla?”

“Do you think I’d say if you were?”

“No, really though. Am I being unreasonable?”

“Not really. Starting to think Rhys is a bit of a mummies boy.”

“Oi.”

“Am I wrong?”

“He’s not… But she thinks he is.”

“And is he standing up for you?”

“Course he is. He looked angrier than I did.” 

“Well then, what the hell are you doing here?”

She looked down the long hallway. “I was worried.”

“Then let’s go and get ourselves a killer robot.” He pointed to the steps down to the front balcony seating. 

Below, Tairen was still holding Melody up. She looked like she was barely able to stand on her own and her eyes were heavily lidded. Heather stood glaring at the robot dressed in human skin, making sure it didn’t think it could just dispose of the woman and escape. If she was going down she was going down fighting.

“Melody, sweetheart, just hold on a bit longer, ok? Ianto’s going to fix this.” She said softly, noting that every time the woman began to drop off she’d unintentionally lean against the blade.

Mel looked up with one barely focused eye. “Sorry… M’trying.”

“I know. We should asleep right now.”

“This is why organics were replaced on my planet. You are weak.” Tairen would have smirked if he had the muscles to do so.

Heather scowled. “Then why are you the one being disassembled?”

“Because they fear me and my kind. So should you.”

“Why?”

“When I am free and I have joined my unit we will do as we have been programmed to do and wipe out all life on this planet.” 

“There are people who’ll stop you.”

“They will try.” 

Ianto had been allowed to leave the room to find a way to get the robot out of there in one piece but so far he’d had no luck whatsoever at putting together a plan to free or destroy the bot. He also had no way of contacting anyone on the outside without leaving the building. He couldn’t do that. He couldn’t leave them. He took a deep breath and tried to clear his head. He just needed to get Melody away from the thing and the swarm could do the rest. How… How could he convince this emotionless machine to release her. Wait… It was risky but he had an idea. He grabbed one of the half dead computers from under the bar that had run the point of sale system and returned to the arena, placing the machine down. 

“I have a way of getting a helicopter but I’ll need to use the control system in her spine.” He said, hoping it would believe the lie. 

Tairen considered it. “No, find another way.”

“There is no other way! This is your one shot to get out of here in one piece and without her we’re all dead. Your choice.” He stared into the robots stolen eyes, refusing to give an inch. 

He walked Melody forward and let her drop in front of the computer. She slumped to the floor, Ianto catching her before she completely collapsed. Heather fell to her knees with them, wrapping an arm protectively around her girlfriend. Ianto was considering how to get them into a position to make a run for it whan he felt Mel grab the back of his shirt. 

“Hold your breaths.” She whispered and pulled them both down with all the strength she had left. 

Jack had felt the familiar tingle at the back of his mind as he walked towards the balcony seating. 

“Melody? Are you ok?” He asked.

Her reply was quiet and felt distant. “Exhausted. Scared. Happy you guys are here.”

“It won’t be much longer. We just need to get it to let you go and we can finish this.”

“I think Ianto’s working on that. What’s the plan?”

“As soon as you’re free we’re going to fill that things head full of bullets then alert the swarm to take over. If you’re in their path you’re going to have to get as low as you can so they’ll leave you alone.” 

“Got it… Jack?”

“Yea?”

“What should we do about the rest of its unit?”

“Leave that to me. Conserve your energy.”

He gestured to Owen and Gwen to aim and get ready for his mark. He watched Mel fall to the floor and signalled them to fire. Tairen staggered backwards as it was hit from both sides by repeated gunfire, the flesh it had pulled over its metallic face being torn away in chunks. Jack took a small vial from his coat pocket, filled with a group of the insect robots, and threw it at the robot, the glass shattering.

As soon as one knew where its target was, they all did. The doors exploded open as the wave entered, washing over everything in their way, descending upon the startled war machine. The wave made short work of the robot, pulling it apart from the inside out, piece by tiny piece. As soon as it was done it fled through the doors it had destroyed with its entrance. 

Ianto dared to open his eyes as the room had fallen silent and the horrible scratching sensation was gone. Melody had released her grip so he was free to move. 

“Melody? Heather? Are you both ok?” He asked softly. 

Heather looked up and nodded then checked on Melody who hadn’t answered at all. They both helped her sit up, supporting her shoulders. 

“M’sorry. Just… Tired.” Mel managed to mumble. 

Heather smiled and pulled her girlfriend into a tight hug. “I’m just glad you’re alive. How did you know that was about to happen?”

“Because I told her.” Jack said, walking in through the empty doorway, Owen and Gwen joining him from the other side. 

Though Ianto didn’t say anything his eyes did light up seeing his partner. He pulled himself to his feet.

“Nice bluff. For a second I wasn’t sure he was going to buy it.” The captain smiled.

“Well, I’m glad it did. Plan B was rushing him and hoping for the best.”

“Um, sorry to interrupt.” Heather said. “But maybe we should take her to a hospital or something. This isn’t just normal tiredness.”

Owen knelt next to them. “Nearest she’s getting to a hospital is me.”

“What?”

“He’s a doctor.” Gwen clarified. “He just has the bedside manner of a dead goldfish unless you’re really hurt, so him being a bit of a dick is a good sign.” 

“Oh… Ok… Will she be ok?”

He didn’t look over from examining Mels neck. “I’m pretty certain she just needs a good nights rest. I’ll get this cut on her neck cleaned up and you can take her home.”

“As long as you’re sure.”

“Trust me, I’ve been treating this walking disaster for a while.”

Heather felt her girlfriend chuckle as she lay her head on her shoulder. 


	4. stillness

Ianto unhooked the chain from around his neck and dropped it onto the top of the chest of draws. He had to admit the night was catching up with him finally. 

“It reminds me of the day we met.” Jack smiled warmly from where he was lounged on the bed.

“What does?”

“How you dressed for tonight. I like it.”

“You’d like anything I wore.”

“True, but still. It’s the jeans.”

He rolled his eyes fondly and pulled his tee shirt over his head before tossing it into the laundry basket. “Tomorrow’s going to be rough.”

“Tosh says the wave is actually doing its job pretty well.”

“That’s not what I mean. I’m surprised you didn’t mention giving Heather a dose of amnesia pills.”

“Ah, that. I wanted to make sure Melody had someone to take care of her tonight.”

“I was thinking…” He slipped off his jeans and threw them over with his tee shirt. “Maybe we could let her remember.”

Jack pushed himself up off the pillows. “You aren’t usually the one I have to have this conversation with.”

“Just… Hear me out. Heather has a perfectly clean record, the kind of record that even Torchwood one would have loved to find for a prospective employee. She has chunks of dead alien in her bones. She has experience with escaping threats-”

He narrowed his eyes in suspicion. “Like what?”

“Like London. She was staying with her grandmother when the cybermen invaded… She lost her boyfriend to them.”

“Ianto.” His voice was soft, gentle. He knew what a sore spot London was and having another survivor to speak to would be tempting. “I can’t take that as-”

“She already worked out who we are, all by herself.”

“How?”

“It isn’t like it used to be. With the right mindset and even basic skills it’s not a hard puzzle to piece together. She’s just been playing along with whatever Melody’s told her. She’s not stupid.”

“What do you want me to do?”

“Just… Just let her remember. You let Rhys remember.”

“I had no choice in that. Anyway, Gwen was with Rhys for years. There was very little chance of them splitting up and him selling what he knows.”

“She won’t.”

“And you can guarantee that?”

“Yes!... I trust her, and Melody needs someone. We can all go home at the end of the day and there’s someone we can talk to. Someone who understands, she doesn’t have that.”

“She has us.”

“Not there she doesn’t… If Heather goes off and does something then I’ll take responsibility. I’ll fix it.”

Jack sighed deeply and flopped back on the pillows. “You’re getting as bad as Gwen.”

“Is that a yes or…?”

“It’s a yes, but if she does anything to put us in danger I’m not going to go easy just because it’s you. Now will you please come to bed? It’s impossible to argue with you when you’re nearly naked.”

He sat on the edge of the bed. “Would you prefer me to argue with you completely naked?”

“It would make arguments a lot more interesting.”

“And I’d always win.”

Jack gave a deep chuckle and ran a finger down Iantos spine, tracing the silver lines of old scars earned in the line of duty. Scars he’d never add to. Not physically anyway. He didn’t know if it was better or worse to have no evidence that the injury ever existed. He was just used to it. Years of damage that never stayed for more than a day, no matter how bad it was, had made him forget how it felt to be left with a scar. It made them novel. Interesting. He pulled Ianto over to him and began planting kisses along the silvery lines.

Gwen took a deep breath before entering her mother in laws home. She tiptoed to the guest bedroom where Rhys was sat up, but very much asleep, in bed. She smiled warmly and slipped off her coat before reaching over to stroke his cheek. He snuffled as he awoke and groggily looked over to her. 

“Hi. Sorry I was so long.” She whispered.

He sat forward and rubbed his aching neck. “What time is it?”

“Two thirty-ish.”

“How did it go? Is everyone ok?”

“It’s fine. A few cuts and scratches but that’s it.”

“Good. good.”

She began to get undressed for bed. “How did things go with your mum?”

“We had a talk… A long, long, long talk.” He sounded weary. “But she’s agreed that she stepped over a line. She says as long as I’m happy she’ll step back a bit.”

She flopped down onto the bed and pulled him over for a kiss. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” He smiled before turning off the lamp and cuddling down with her. “Will you be running off to work tomorrow morning?”

“Not that early. I volunteered to check on Melody at around eleven so until then I can stay with you.” 

“I thought you said there were only a few cuts and bruises between you lot.” 

“It takes a lot of energy to keep six thousand minds out of your head. She exhausted herself. Owen carried her to the car.”

“Send her my best. The whole psychic power thing seems more trouble than it’s worth.” 

“I’m sure she’d agree sometimes. Anyway, we should get some sleep. I’ve got more killer robots to deal with tomorrow.”

“Killer robots.”

“Killer robots wearing human skin costumes.”

“I swear I never know when you’re pulling my leg.”

“Half of the time I wish I was.”

Heather winced in her sleep, a dream she hadn’t had in a long time rearing its ugly head. The sound of marching feet outside, Dillon holding his baseball bat ready to fight, her nanna pulling her away. She could never hear words in her dreams but she knew she was being told to hide. She climbed up into the loft after her nanna, then pulled up the ladder after them, closing the loft hatch after them. She crawled across the beams to where she knew there was a gap in the ceiling she could see through. She watched as Dillon was thrown across the room before being dragged off.

“Heather?” Melody said, brushing a hair away from Heathers face. “Sweetheart?” 

She awoke with a start, looking around the dark room. “Wh- what?”

“You were having a nightmare.”

“I… Sorry.”

“Don’t be. You put up with my nightmares, I’m happy to help with yours.” She pulled her girlfriend into a hug, making sure to keep one eye closed just in case. 

“Did I ever tell you about London?”

“Yea. Is that what you were dreaming about?”

She nodded into Mels shoulder. “Today just… It got to me.”

“That’s understandable. I’m so sorry it happened… That everything happened.”

“Don’t be. You can’t turn back time and I don’t want last night to just be bad memories. The concert was great.”

“It was.”

“And it was nice to see you so happy.”

“You too. Do you think you’ll be able to get back to sleep?”

“I don’t know. What time is it?”

She grabbed her phone and checked the time. “Six forty two.”

“I think I’ll be awake for the day then. I wouldn’t mind just cuddling up with you though.”

“You can always cuddle up with me for any reason, though I’ll probably fall back to sleep.”

“I can accept these terms.” She smiled.

Tosh had been tracking the swarm all night. As the little robots couldn’t fly she wanted to know where they’d taken the pieces of the war machine they’d dismantled. Placing a little tracking beacon on one of the robots had worked like a charm and she’d found the exact position of the swarms base. Now she was working on how to use it to contact who or what ever sent them in the first place. Ianto placed her usual morning cup of coffee on her desk. 

“Thank you.” She smiled politely. “The wave dismantled another battle robot last night. From what I can tell there are multiple swarms sent to retrieve these machines and they use the pieces to build more ant robots.”

“Self replication. That’s never gone wrong before.” He said in his usual dry manner.

“Well, I’m going to try and find out if we can get them to leave the planet before that becomes an issue.” 

“And if they won’t?”

“I’m sure I could put something together to shut them all down.”

A startled, and slightly annoyed, shout rose from the medical bay before Owen marched up. “I swear if I find one more of those bitey little bastards! I hate ants.”

“At least you didn’t find one crawling in your shoes this morning.” Ianto complained. “Your coffee’s on your desk.”

“About time. Where were you this morning anyway?”

“At home?”

“I thought you’d moved in here.”

“If I had no choice but to live here it would be a lot tidier. Anyway, did you find out why the swarm attacked those specific people?”

He took a swig of his coffee. “Yea. They were all related to the man whos skin was used to make the robots suit. The rest of his body still hasn’t been found.” 

“I don’t envy whoever does find it.”

“Give it a bit longer and they might just find bones.”

Gwen was feeling so much better. The morning had gone smoothly and the lie in had even let her and her husband to be have a little fun. The day was clear and fresh as she headed into the hydrangea apartments. She even took the stairs up to Melodys flat. She knocked on the door, not wanting to just let herself in.

The lock clicked open and Heather appeared. “Morning.” She smiled. “Come in. Melody’s still technically in bed.”

“That’s ok. I kind of expected her to be.” Walking in she saw the sofa bed folded out and Melody sitting up, half wrapped in the duvet, watching TV. “Morning.”

Mel looked over. “Oh, good morning. Sorry, I lost track of time.”

“No problem. How are you feeling?”

“Like I have a hangover sent by Satan himself.”

“Oh sweetheart.” She said fondly. “Want me to ask Owen if he’s got anything to help?”

“No, no. I’ll be fine. The headache’ll go.” 

“As long as you’re sure. Oh, Heather, Jack wanted to talk to you if that’s ok.”

Heather looked over in surprise. “Me? And… Who’s..”

“Jack’s the one in the blue coat that flirts with everyone.”

“Right, yes. Iantos boyfriend.”

“And our boss.”

“Oh, ok… Why does he want to talk to me? Oh god I’m not going to be mind wiped or turn up in the bay tomorrow am I?” She was only half joking as she kept the bed between them. 

Gwen waved off the idea. “No, no. That’s not how we work… Well, mostly... I’m not making you feel any better am I? Look, it's just to talk. I promise you’ll be fine. And if you don’t like his flirting just say, he doesn’t even realise he’s doing it half of the time.”

“Are you going to be ok on your own?” She asked, leaning down to kiss Melodys cheek. 

The blond woman nodded. “I’ll just sleep it off. Will you be back for dinner?”

“I bloody well hope so.”

“I promise I’ll bring you back before dinner.” Gwen chuckled warmly.

“Good, right, let me just throw on a bra and maybe a different top.” 


	5. Calm seas

Heather stepped out of Gwens car and into the large garage space, taking in the sheer amount of cash that must have gone into a couple of the vehicles there and the weight of the doors that stood between them and what she assumed to be their base. 

“So, this is Torchwood huh?” She said, suddenly feeling a knot forming in the pit of her stomach. 

Gwen joined her. “Yep. No matter what you think it’s going to look like, it’s not that.”

“Honestly, I have no idea. I mean part of me still thought Mel might be working for the government or UNIT or something. Until last night Torchwood was still just an urban legend.”

“Nope, just a small group of people trying to save the world and not die in the process. Come on, we’re probably being watched.” She pointed to one of the security cameras that turned as if to pretend it wasn’t pointed directly at them moments before. 

Heather recognised the ID card Gwen used to open the doors from spotting Melodys on her belt more than once and found herself staring at the Victorian tiled walls of the small hallway the thick steel doors led to. Specifically the word that had been carefully painted across them. 

“No subtlety then.” She said to herself, much to Gwens amusement. 

“Oh you haven’t seen the half of it yet. For a secret organisation we have our name and logo printed on everything. I’d say it was like Jack marking his territory but it was like this before he had any say.”

“Hiding in plain sight I guess.”

“That’s one way of looking at it.” She opened another door that led to much larger rooms. “Welcome to Torchwood.” 

Heather looked up into the cavernous expanse that hung above the working area of the hub, noting the water tower. “Wait… I know that tower…”

“You should. You’ve met Mel after work enough times by it.”

“All this is underneath?”

“Yep.” She had to admit, this was fun. Even if technically Heather had seen the hub before it was nice to ‘introduce’ her to it. “Jack’s probably in his office trying to look busy.”

A voice from the stairway made Heather jump. “He is in his office but he’s reading a book, not trying to look busy.” Ianto smiled as he descended the last couple of steps. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine. Sorry, this is… A lot. And you look so different in a suit. Not bad different, just different.” Heather attempted to stutter. 

“It’s fine. I think if I wore jeans every day Jack would just follow me around and nothing would ever get done.”

“You mean he doesn’t already?” She paused. “I said that out loud, didn’t I?”

“You did and it takes everything I have not to.” Jack beamed from over by Toshikos desk. 

She looked like she wanted the ground to swallow her up before Ianto gave her an amused smile and Gwen gestured for her to go ahead. “So… Um… You’re Jack.”

“Captain Jack Harkness and you’re Heather Brookhill.”

She nodded.

“Come into my office and we can have a chat.” He beckoned, turning to walk back to his office. She rushed after him, embarrassed, nervous and a little overwhelmed. He grabbed a chair for her before he sat himself down behind his desk. She’d barely sat when he began. 

“So, last night.”

“The robot in the human suit.”

“You’re sure that’s what it was?”

“I’m certain. Not many biological creatures have four inch blades hidden in their forearms. That and he said it himself.”

“Ok, fair point. How much do you know?”

“About Torchwood, or aliens?” 

“Both.” 

“I only know rumours about Torchwood and I’m guessing they’re all nonsense. Aliens… Well, I know they exist. I know they’ve visited earth multiple times… I know they’re not all peaceful.”

Jack softened his voice. “Ianto told me you were in London during the battle of Canary wharf, so you know first hand how dangerous this can be.”

“I do… But I know they’re not all bad. I’ve seen enough cryptids and heard enough stories about the Doctor saving the world to see that.”

“Wouldn’t it be easier if that’s all they were?”

“Of course it would, but I prefer the truth even if it hurts.” She shrugged. “Why?”

“Given the chance to forget what happened last night, would you?”

“No! Never. If I forgot then Melody would have to deal with it on her own… Not that I think you wouldn’t help her but when she’s at home all alone… I want to be there so she doesn’t have to push that fear down with the rest of it.”

“I expected that answer but not your reasoning. You really care about her, don’t you.”

“I love her.” She held his gaze. 

He crossed his arms, impressed with her sincerity, but still unsure if she was going to be scared off when the strange events inevitably continued. “Knowing about all of this puts a target on your back. Are you prepared to deal with that?”

“I am.”

“Even if it puts your life at risk?”

“We all die eventually. I could get in a car crash tomorrow, trip down the stairs and break my neck, have a sudden aneurysm in the night and never wake up. I’m not scared of being at risk. Why are you asking me all this?”

He sighed and leaned forward on his desk. “Knowing we even exist is a privilege very few people in this world have, and I need to be sure you understand the danger that comes along with that. No matter what happens, you can’t tell another soul what you know and if, even for a moment, you think you couldn’t handle that then it’s better to go back to thinking all of this is a fairy story.”

“That’s all it’ll be though. A fairy story. I’m fine playing along with a lie as long as I know the truth behind it. That robot said the implants on Melodys back were a control system. What did that mean?”

“She’d tell you if you asked her.”

“But she’s still recovering in bed, so can you tell me?” The nervousness had slowly ebbed away and now she looked like she was actually engaging with him. 

“It was put there by aliens who wanted to use her like their ships computer. We rescued her but the implants couldn’t be removed.”

“Do they hurt her?”

“No. As far as I know they’re purely cosmetic when they’re not plugged into anything.”

“And that’s why your doctor said she couldn’t go to a hospital.”

“Exactly. Are you ok with dealing with that too? If she’s hurt there are only five numbers you can really call for help. Her abilities are… A lot more than we’ve ever seen and that comes with some heavy downsides.”

“Are you her dad?” Heather asked plainly.

He blinked, completely caught off guard. “What?”

They heard Owen splutter beyond the doorway before there was a lot of clattering. “Shit. Oh god!”

“I told you not to listen in.” Tosh scolded, though her smile was audible as she handed him a handful of tissues. 

Jack tilted his head and called out. “Should I ask what just happened?”

“Just Owen shooting coke out of his nose.”

Gwen held her sides as she tried to hold in her laughter and retreated to the sofa.

“Anyway.” Jack said, shaking his head. 

“Are you her dad? You’re being very protective of her.”

“She’s my friend. I’ve known her for a long time and I don’t want her to have her heart broken if you decide all of this is too much. That and you’d still have to keep all of this a secret.” 

“You don’t have to worry. For one, noone in their right mind would believe me, and two, you’re mad if you think I’m sharing this with anyone.” 

He relaxed a little and laughed softly. “Good. Now, do you want to meet an alien?”

Janet was happily gnawing on what looked like an old leather medicine ball. Though it was filled with a mix of crumpled paper, cow bones, clay, corn husks and meat. The weevil version of the pumpkins filled with ground beef they give tigers in the zoo. She seemed rather content in her cell as she peeled back layers, chewing on the pieces she pulled away, completely ignoring the sound of people approaching. 

Jack gestured to the cell. “This is Janet.”

“Janet?” Heather asked, tilting her head as she studied the creature beyond the thick glass. She watched carefully as the creature bit into the leather of the ball again, pulling the fabric away in strips as if it was made of damp ricepaper. “Did you call her that?”

“She needed a name.” He shrugged.

She rested a hand against the glass. “Is she from another planet?”

“We have no idea where they come from. They just appear in the sewers. They wouldn’t be such a problem if they just stayed there but every so often they venture to the surface and start hunting people.”

“Why?”

“For fun.” 

Heather looked back to see if he was joking but he looked completely serious. “Like the legends of alligators in the sewers in America.”

“Exactly.” He leaned against the back wall and thought, a small thing that was bugging him refusing to be pushed away. “You never asked if Melody was really human.”

“I suppose it didn’t really matter. Melody’s just Melody. She’s just everything I think I needed.”

“Do you want to know?”

“Would she want me to know is the real question.”

He smiled warmly. “She’s human. Modified, but still human. Sometimes I think she needs reminding of that.”

“It’s not that she forgets how fragile she is, it’s just that she thinks everyone is more important. Breaking’s worth it to her. Doesn’t matter if it’s something like last night or trying to organise a funeral for a person that hated her to save the feelings of those she cares about. I think… I think it’s because she can feel everyone around her. She feels their need to live and it’s so strong she can’t even hear her own anymore.”

“Sounds like you’ve talked about it.”

“We have, kind of. She tried to describe what her telepathy is like. She said it was like floating in the ocean. The sea of the unconscious. Sometimes it gets rough and you can easily be pulled under by the waves if you aren’t careful. Sometimes you can make out every ripple. Sometimes you have to brace against a whole tsunami and hope it doesn’t crush you… Then sometimes you are that tsunami. A pure destructive force. Or a whirlpool that pulls everything in. And sometimes, without anyone noticing, you’re a riptide. So still and calm on the surface but one step too deep and whatever’s there will be dragged into the depths, never to be seen again. It’s beautiful and kind of terrifying.”

“Heather.... Be careful. Being around a telepath can be addictive. Don’t get hooked on the feeling in your head.”

“I won’t. I promise.”

Janet slammed the medicine ball against the glass, annoyed that her quiet meal was being interrupted by chatter. 

The shock made Heather leap away. “Jesus! Ok mardy arse.” She grumbled at the weevil. 

Jack laughed warmly as Janet loped back to the middle of her cell, her attention returning to the medicine ball.

Tosh brought up the translation of the message sent by the swarms base.  _ Emergency. Military unit Alitix has been recalled for dismantling. They did not return to the dismantling site and are considered defective. Wave has been mobilised to retrieve defective units. We apologize for any damage the wave may cause in their duty. They are programmed to minimise contact with native fauna but some contact may be unavoidable.  _ At least they were honest. Plus she now had a copy of the coding they used to programme not only the wave but also the robots. She guessed the wave dampened communications to isolate the machines from each other, but that meant there was a live feed between them. All she needed to do was create a virus for them to share and shut them down. Easy. Barely a mornings worth of work. Maybe she’d send the wave off with a message saying “you’re welcome”. At least killer robots were something she could handle quickly, leaving the weekend free to finally take Owen out for his “not birthday” as he’d point blank refused to celebrate his actual birthday. Instead he’d insisted on celebrating valentines for her instead. It was sweet but she wished he’d let her spoil him for once. It’s like he was trying to make up for something that didn’t exist. One day she’d get through to him. One day. 


End file.
